Engine starter



July 3, 1945. w FlTZ GERALD 2,379,428

' ENGINE STARTER,

Filed May 20, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 wjiw a July 3, 1945.

J. W. FITZ GERALD ENGINE STARTER Filed May 20, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 3, 1945 9UN-ITED STA -E NT OFFICE ENGINE STARTER John W. Fitz G erald, Milwaukee, Wis, as'signor to Briggs & Stratton Corporation, Wis, a corporation of Delaware Milwaukee,

Application May 20, 1942, Serial No. 443,731

8 Claims.

starter has its disadvantage in that the starter mechanism and starting motor are apt to be subjected to excessive strain and wear if the starter is kept in mesh after the engine starts, which often occurs at the hands of inexperienced drivers.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a starter of the manual type which'incorporates means for automatically demeshing the pinion upon proper starting of the engine.

More specifically it is an object of this invention to provide a starter of the character described wherein a centrifugally responsive latch holds the pinion in mesh (providing the starter pedal is kept depressed) until the pinion driven by the engine attains a predeterminedspeed of rotation.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a starter of the character described having means incorporated therein for yieldingly compensating for accidental collision of the teeth on the pinion and ring gear.

. With the above and other objects' in View, which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides inthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended c1aims,-i t being understood that such changes in the precise em,- bodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view partially in side elevation and partially in horizontal section illustrating a starter embodying this invention and showing the pinion in its inoperative position; Y

' Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but show However, this feature of the manual type of tween the pinion and ring gear teeth is yieldingly accommodatedj Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 showing the pinion fully meshed; and I Figure 4 is a detail cross sectional View through Figure 1 on the plane of the line 4-4.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals indicate like parts, the numeral 5 designates the ring gear of an engine to be started with which a pinion 6 is adapted to be meshed upon manual depression of a starter pedal 1.

It is to be understood, however, that in place of the manually depressible pedal '1 suitable elec- 'tromagnetic-means or its equivalent may be employed to shift the pinion into mesh with the ring ear.

The pinion 6 is carried by a sleeve 8 freely slidably splined. to the shaft 9 of the starter motor l0. The'motor I0 is mounted withi'nahousing ll equipped with. bearings l2 and I3at its opposite ends to support the motor shaft,'the latter bearing also serving to mount the sleeve 8 which carries the pinion.

Between the bearing [3 and the adjacent end of'th'e motor It, the sleeve 8 has an enlargement M'which is transversely slotted to receive dia metrically opposite ribs I5. The ribs 15 maybe ing the manner in whichaccidental collisionbe- 56 an integral part of the motor shaft, but preferably. consist of axial projectionson' a collar l6 keyedgor otherwise secured to the motor shaft. The interengagement of the ribs l5 and the slots in theenlargement l4 provide the splined driving connection between the motor shaft and the pinion sleeve. 1 i Enclosing the enlargement I4 is a barrel member ll'theclo'sed end I8 of whichis bored and notched to receive the shaft 9 and the ribs l5 of the collar l'6. The'barrel thus revolves with the motor shaft and pinion. Inside the barrel a compr'ession spring "I9 is confined between the inner walls of the barrel and the enlargement I ion the pinion sleeve. The ends of this springbear against a spring ring 20 fixed on the enlargement M and a flange 2| secured to the open end of. the barrel and extending across the annular space between the mouth of the barrel and the enlargement I4. Loosely'mounted on the barrel so as to be free to move axially thereon is a spanner ring 22. This ring is preferably splined to the barrel in any suitable manner as by a pin 22' carried by the'ring and engaging in a longitudinal groove I'l' but is restrained against axial motion on the barrel by a weighted pin 23 slidable in a radial starter peda1 I cooperates to shift the entire pin ion assembly axially to mesh the pinion with the ring gear upon depression of the starter ,pedal. During such axial shifting of the pinion assembly a heavy compression spring 29 encircling the collar 16 and confined between'th'e motor ill-and the adjacent end of the barrel is compressed or loaded.

In the event the pinion and ring gear teeth collide as illustrated in Figure 2, depression of the starter pedal may continue by virtue of the axial yieldability provided by the spring 19.

Upon final and complete depression of the pedal 1 the circuit to the starter motor In (not shown) is closed by depression of a switch plunger 30. In the eventof improper engagement asindicated in .Figure 2, the initial startingofthe motor promptly aligns the pinion and ringgear teeth.

After proper engagement of the pinion and gear and thestarter'motor begins to turn over the engine, the pedal 1 may be held in indiscriminately without danger of-damage to the starter mechanism for the instant the speed of rotation of the pinion driven by the ring gear exceeds a predetermined value, centrifugal force acting on the weighted pin 23 disengages the pin from thesocket 25 and releases the pinion assembly for projection to its normal demeshedposition by the loaded compression spring 29. It is, of course, understood that thespanner ring 22 and consequently the pin 23v revolve withthe pinion, so that it is the speed of rotation of-the pinion which determines when the pinion is released for disengagement from the ring gear. k -Re-engagement of the pin '23 in the socket 25 to again couple the spanner ring to the barrel is accomplished by the starter ,pedal sliding the spanner ring back along the barrel as the pedal is restored to its normal position where itis held by aspring (not shown). p a

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, ,itwill be readily apparent to thoseskilled in .the art, that this invention provides an engine starter of the so-called manual type which incorporates .the 7 advantages of the manual starter with those of the automatic starter and-in addition assures the pinion being retained in mesh with the ringgear until the engine actually starts. i

What 1 claim as my invention is; V v

1. In an engine starter of the manual type having apinion manually. meshed, with the ring gear before the circuit tothe starting motor is closed, the combination of: a spring urging the pinion to an-out-of-mesh position -a manually operable actuator; means for closing the circuit of the starting motor by ithe final-movement of the actuator; a releasable connection between the actuator and .a part inovable both axially-and rotarily with the pinion wherebythetpinion may be moved into mesh by itheactuator andreleased for demeshing independentlyzofthe actuator, said releasable connection includinga ,centrif'ugally responsive latch carried vby a :partrevolving with the pinion and: through which motion of the actuator is transmitted to the pinion part and consequently to the pinion, said centrifugally responsive latch being operable to disrupt the connection between the actuator and said pinion part when the pinion attains a predetermined speed of rotation.

2. In an engine starter of the character described, the combination of: a starting motor; a pinion movable axially into and out of mesh with the ring gear of an engine to be started; means ,at all times drivingly connecting the pinion with the starting motor; actuating mean for moving thepinion into mesh with the ring gear; a releasable motion transmitting connection between the actuating means and the pinion, said releasable'motion transmitting connection including a centrifugally responsive latch carried by a part revoluble withthe pinion, response of said latch to centrifugal force upon the attainment of a predetermined speed of rotation of the pinion disrupting said motion transmitting connection; and yieldable means for moving the pinion out of mesh with the ring gear upon disruption of said releasable connection between the pinion and said actuating means.

, 3. In an engine starter of the character described: a motor driven power shaft; a ,pinion movable axially to and from an operative position meshing with the ring gear of an engine to be started; means at all times drivingly connecting the pinion with the power shaft; an actuatorfor moving the pinion axially to its operative position; a spring biasing the, pinion axially out of its operative driving position, said spring being loaded by movement of the pinion to operative position; an axiallyslidable, but non-rotatable, connection between the actuator and a part movable with the pinion; and a releasable motion transmitting connection between said part and the actuator including a .centrifugally responsive latch carried by the actuator so as to be rotatable with the pinion, response of thelatch to the centrifugal force prevalent when the pinion attains .apredetermined speed of rotation disrupting the motion transmitting connection and freeing the pinion for demeshing under the infiuence of said biasing spring.

4. In an engine starter of the character described: a motor driven power shaft; a pinion having a slidably splined driving connection with the power' shaft allowing for axial motion of the pinion with respect to the power shaft; a spring tending at all times to hold the pinion in a demeshed non-driving position; and means for moving the pinion against the action of said spring to an active driving position including drivingly connected, but relatively axially movable part's rotatable with the pinion,and a centrifugally responsive latch carried by one of said parts and releasably engaging the other part for normally releasabl holding said parts against relative axial motion so that upon actuation of said pinion moving means the pinion is slid into driving position, response of said latch to centrifugal force, upon the pinion attaining a prean operative position; axspring reacting axially,

against the pinion-andcloaded during movement of the pinion-$0 voperative:position,so as to yieldingly urge the pinion: out :of its .operative position; a barrel member coaxial with the pinion; means connecting the barrel member with the pinion so that the barrel member is movable with the pinion; a movable actuating member slidably splined to the barrel member; and a centrifugally responsive latch carried by other member to effect a motion transmitting connection between the members so that axial.

motion of the actuating member in one direction shifts the pinion to its operative position while response of the latch to centrifugal force disrupts the motion transmitting connection and frees the pinion for spring-propelled movement out of its operative position.

6. In an engine starter: a power shaft; a pinion movable axially of the power shaft to and from an operative position; complementary telescoped relatively axially movable parts, one of which is fixed with respect to the pinion; means constraining both said parts to turn with the power shaft while leaving them free to slide thereon; stop means on said telescoped parts limiting relative axial movement thereof in one direction; a, spring reacting between said parts to normally hold the same in said relative positions defined by the stop a means, said spring allowin said parts to move axially with respect to each other in the event of pinion tooth interference during pinion shifting movement applied to the other of said parts; a spanner ring slida-bly splined to said other one of said complementary telescoped parts; manually operable means engaging the spanner ring for shifting the same in a direction to move the pinion to its operative position; a, centrifugally responsive latch rotatable with and providing a releasable connection between the spanner ring and said part to which it is slidably splined, response of the latch freeing the complementary parts and the pinion for axial movement with respect to the spanner ring; the complementary parts to move the same and consequently the pinion out of operative position the instant the centrifugal latch responds.

one of said members i so as to rotate with the pinion and engaging the 7. In an engine starter of the type having a pinion at all times drivingly connected with a starting motor: a member connected with the pinion tobe movable therewith; means for shifting the pinion into mesh with the ring gear of an engine to be started before the starting motor begins to operate, said means including a ring member slidably splined to said member connected with the pinion, and a centrifugally responsive latch carried by one of said members to turn therewith and engaging the other member to provide a releasable motion transmitting connection between said members, response of the latch to a predetermined speed of rotation of said members and the pinion releasing the pinion from the shifting means; and means at all times exerting a biasing force on the pinion to move the same to its dcmeshed position upon such response of the latch.

8. In an engine starterof the character described: a pinion movable axially to and from an operative position; a spring loaded during movement of the pinion to operative position; a barrel member; means connecting the barrel member with the pinion so that the barrel member moves with the pinion; another member slidably but nonrotatably, connected with said barrel member so that said members at all times rotate too gether and with the'pinion; actuating means con- 7 position by nected to said other member for shifting the same axially; and a centrifugally responsive latch carried by one of said members to be rotatable with the pinion and engaging the other member to normally releasably connect the members so that the pinion maybe shifted to its operative actuation of said other member, response of the latch to the centrifugal force prevalent at a predetermined speed of rotationof the pinion disrupting said connection between said members and releasing the pinion for movement out of its operation position.

JOHN W. FITZ GERALD. 

